I'll be there
by mysticdragon2016
Summary: "Come back to me,Yuri." Victor pleaded, holding the younger man's hand. "I'm right here waiting for you, all you have to do is find a way back." Victor xInjured Yuri
1. Chapter 1

Victor paced in the waiting room, his thoughts reeling. His heart filled with fear.

"Vitya!" Yakov called,catching Victor's attention. He stopped in front of Victor.

"No one can tell me anything," Victor said,clearly distraught. " they've been in there a while. I should have been there,Yuri-"

"You couldn't have stopped it, sometimes no news is good news."

"How can you say that, Yuri,Yurio and JJ could be d-" The sound of hurried footsteps on the hospital floor reached their ears and it didn't take long for Isabella and Phichit to appeared, followed by the remaining competitors.

"Are they all right?" Phichit asked with deep concern. "We would've been here sooner, but it took a while for them to see everyone." Victor gazed at the group, many of the skaters were covered in bandages, cuts and bruises.

"No one's been out yet." Victor lowered himself into the chair behind him, covering his face with his hands.

 _Please Yuri, I need you to live. Just be okay._ He pleaded silently. The thought of losing Yuri was too much for Victor. It would be another hour and a half before the doctor approached them. Victor shot up from his seat.

"I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances," the middle aged man said. "I'm a big fan of the sport. At the moment, if I can get you all to sit down,I have some news for you." Victor's heart dropped into his stomach. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Sit down,Vitya." Yakov instructed, the silver haired skater obeyed.

"Yuri Plisetsky and JJ both suffered head trauma, I sent them through a CT scan and it looks like there's no bleeding in their brain, which was our main concern. Yuri fractured his right shoulder-"

"Will JJ be okay?" Isabella cried, unable to wait any longer.

"Yes. He's expected to make a full recovery as will Yuri, it'll take some time but they'll be fine. we'll have them back to their usual activities as soon as possible." He assured them.

"But what about Yuri Katsuki, don't you have anything to say about him?" Victor demanded. The doctor sat down next to Victor.

"Yuri Katsuki sustained multiple injuries, he's just being taken out of surgery. He had an internal hemorrhage that was difficult to control and because of his head injury he slipped into a coma, he's also bruised both lungs fairly badly. I wish I could tell you what to expect from here."

"Can I see him?" Victor pleaded.

"Of course, if you'll follow me, I'll take you back to him." Victor stood up.

"I'll have to call his family, it's-"

"I'll take care of it, he needs you." Phichit offered.

"Thank you, but I should do it,It's my fault he was there." He turned and followed the doctor down the seemingly endless corridor, he paid no attention to his surroundings. Finally they stopped at Yuri's door.

"If you need anything, the call button is beside the bed and the nurses station is just down the hall." Victor thanked him and entered the room.

Yuri lay motionless on the bed surrounded by tubes and monitors. His head covered in white bandages a breathing tube had been inserted. Victor moved closer, standing beside him, reaching down to take his hand,careful not to disturb the device attached to Yuri's finger.

"My precious Yuri." He began quietly. "I'm so sorry, I should have been with you. I need you to open your beautiful eyes and look at me. You have to live, To lose you- Yuri, you are my everything, my one and only love. Please." He pleaded kissing the younger man's hand.

"I would take your place if I could. If I could go back, I'd-" Victor sniffled. "I love you more than anything in this world. Live Yuri, because the truth is...I can't if you don't. I'm right here waiting for you. I'll always be right beside you. I just hope you can find your way back to me."


	2. Chapter 2

"You can't expect an immediate change in his condition. Especially with these kinds of injuries. The bleeding alone was enough to cause an unsafe drop in his blood pressure. When you add his head trauma, the fact that he's unable to breathe on his own...the truth is, I don't know how he's still with us." The doctor explained, examining Yuri carefully.  
Victor smiled sadly.

"My Yuri likes to surprise me." He replied, still holding the younger man's hand. He gazed at Yuri's pale face, hoping to see a sign of improvement despite the doctor's words. "He's stronger than he gets credit for."

"Let's hope he stays that way. Keep in mind that if he does wake up, you should prepare yourself for the possibility that Yuri won't recognize anyone right away, patients are usually disoriented after waking up." Victor frowned. The thought of his beloved Yuri not knowing him filled his heart with pain.

"How soon will we know?" The silver haired man asked, stroking Yuri's hand lovingly with his thumb.

"It's hard to say. Comas can last anywhere from a few days to quite a few years. It depends on the person's condition. Were you able to reach his family?"

"Yes, his mother will be here tomorrow evening." The doctor nodded.

"I'll leave a note with the nurses to let her come in when she gets here, in case it's after regular visitation. Until then, I'd encourage you to keep talking to him and letting him know you're here."

"That's not a problem. I've been telling him how important he is to me, hoping he hears me and somehow it makes a difference."

"My personal opinion if you're interested is that our loved ones do hear our encouraging words, it can't do any harm to make them aware of our presence. I'm sorry but I have to check up on the other Yuri, I'll let you know if anything changes. "

"Thank you." Victor said softly as the doctor moved past him to the door.

"Stay strong, that's the best you can do right now. I'll check in later." When the doctor departed, Victor sighed heavily.

"It's just us again." He said. "Last I heard, everyone was going to be fine, some of our friends won't be skating anytime soon. Yurio hurt his head,fractured his shoulder. That's going to keep him off the ice for a while. I called your family, your mother's coming. They're really worried about you. .so am I. I'll be staying with you again tonight. Coach Yakov said he'll make sure your mother gets here from the airport. We'll take care of everything when she gets here,so don't worry." He paused,unsure of what to say.

"It looks like it's snowing again. I wish you could watch it with me. I miss you, I miss hearing your voice, being able to hold you, seeing you smiling back at me when we're Lying there just the two of us. We'll get through this, I'll take care of you, but I need you to help me. You can do that can't you,Yuri?" Victor spent the following twenty four hours at Yuri's bedside, unable to bring himself to leave or sleep. He listened to the constant mechanical beeping that filled the room, silently pleading for a positive change. Victor opened his eyes to a sudden tap on his shoulder.  
He raised his head, he hadn't realized he had finally slept.

Hiroko stood beside him, her eyes filled with tears.  
Victor stood to greet her.

"Mrs. Katsuki, I'm so-" He found himself being pulled into a hug.

"How are you holding up?" She asked.

"Not good. It was my fault he-"

"No. No one blames you. Have you been with him all this time?"

"Yes. I couldn't leave,I just-"

"Then I should thank you. I'm sure he's glad you were. He loves you very much. I'm grateful that you stayed and he wasn't alone."

"It was the least I could do." Hiroko released him and turned back to her son. She placed her hand softly over Yuri's.

"I'll give you two some time alone. I'll look in on Yurio and come back later." Hiroko nodded.

"Thank you." She said softly.

" Yuri, your father and sister send their love-" Victor drew in a deep breath and exited into the hall.

He turned down the long corridor and walked toward the elevator. He pressed the button,bowing his head. When the door opened, he stepped inside,pressing the number 2 with a sigh. He watched the numbers above the panel light up,indicating that he was getting closer to his destination.

He watched the door open and stepped out,making the short journey to the younger skater's hospital room. The blonde teen laid in bed,listening to the television. Victor knocked softly on the door, catching his attention.

"Can I come in?" The older man asked. Yurio merely turned from him. Victor entered and took a seat beside him.

"Is he okay?" Yurio asked before Victor could speak. Victor hesitated.

"That bad?"

"Yuri's in a coma. We don't know when or if he'll wake up. He's-" Yurio lifted his head from the pillow, wincing at the pain in his head.

"He's really that bad?" Yurio asked in disbelief.

"He had a lot of internal bleeding, he's not breathing on his own and he's got a few other-" Victor couldn't bring himself to finish.

"He'll be fine." Yurio said. "He has to be. After what happened."

"Help me understand." Victor requested. "What happened?"

"I don't remember much, we were spinning, and then I heard him say something, it happened so fast,then I was forced down, then I woke up here."

"What did he say?" Victor pressed.

"I don't know, it was kind of disorienting with all the moving and-" The boy winced.

"Take it easy, you need to rest."

"I'll be fine, my head hurts pretty badly,but the doctor thinks I can leave in a few days."

"Good. What were you watching?"

"Nothing, I just have it on for sound, I couldn't deal with the silence." Victor nodded. It would be another long night, but seeing Yurio awake lifted a fraction of his despair. He would have to remember to ask if anyone else had heard Yuri's words,perhaps ask his beloved Yuri one day,and gain a better understanding of what happened.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's been a long three days, hasn't it, Yuri?" Victor said with a heavy sigh. "Yurio was sent home this morning, he'll have headaches for a while, and he doesn't need surgery for his shoulder, he's going to skate again when he's healed but it won't be for a couple of seasons. JJ is doing much better, he'll be here at least another week." The silver haired man sipped from his water bottle. The golden ring on his finger caught his eye.

Victor placed the bottle on the bedside table. He touched it lightly, he glanced at Yuri, noticing his matching band was missing.

"Do you remember getting these rings for us, a good luck charm you said. You didn't need luck though, you had everything you needed inside of you already. You just needed help bringing it out. I'm proud of you, you've come so far.I just need you home. Your mother should be back soon. She went to get something to eat." Victor leaned forward in his chair.

"Yuri, I'm so sorry I wasn't with you. A selfish person like me doesn't deserve someone as loving and beautiful as you. It should be me lying there. Please... Forgive me and come back. My heart hurts to think you could possibly-"

"Has anything changed?" Yurio called from the door, Victor didn't bother turning to face him.

"No. I thought you went home." Victor sniffled wiping away the tears before the had the chance to fall.

"Flight doesn't leave until tomorrow." The teen entered the room to sit in the empty chair beside Victor. The older man nodded.

"Did anything come back to you?" Victor asked.

"Not much. I tried but it feels like parts are missing. I think some of the memories might be a bit mixed up. It's hard to explain."

"Head injuries do that I suppose." Yurio nodded.

"The doctor said it might feel like this for a while but there shouldn't be any permanent damage."

"Good. That's good to know." Victor replied softly. "I'm sorry you won't be able to get back out on the ice for so long."

"Yeah, it's gonna be hard getting back into it."

"You're still young, it won't be as bad as you think. You'll come back stronger than before." A moment of silence fell over the room as they kept their eyes on the comatose figure on the bed.

"So, looks like he'll be here a while." The teen said finally.

"I hope not, but it's a good possibility he will be "

"You'll be staying then?"

"Until he's well enough to travel. I'm looking into possibly renting a place in case he needs to stay close for a while." Yurio felt his phone vibrate from his pocket and turned to his screen.

"Yakov's outside, I have to go."

"Take care of yourself, Yurio. Feel better soon." Yurio gave a short nod,stopping in the doorway.

"I'm sorry he's hurt so badly." He said sincerely before disappearing into the hall.

"I have so many things that I want the chance to say to you. There's so much I still don't understand What happened and why,was there something I could've done differently that would've protected you. If I had just stayed with you instead of going to that stupid-"

"We can't live in the'what its' the only thing it will do is drive us crazy." Hiroko said, she set her purse on the bedside table and sat next to Victor.

"Sometimes things happen and we don't get to have a reason, no matter how much we want answers. Everyone that was involved is alive, we should focus on helping them through their recovery. What we do have is a choice. Do we dwell on finding the answers or focus our energy on trying to get Yuri through this?"

"Yuri needs us right now, I just hope that when he does wake,he knows who we are. I don't know what I'd do-"

"You'll be there for him, like you are right now. It won't be easy but if you love someone as much as I think you love my son, you do anything you can for him. Being married to my husband as long as I have been taught me many things about love. It can be hard taking care of loved ones, and I understand if you feel overwhelmed and can't-"

"Mrs Katsuki , I'm not walking away from Yuri, you have my promise. He's too precious to me to ever let the thought enter my mind."

"I'm glad to hear that because he needs you behind him, you have to be his strength until he can find his own. I can encourage him just as I have been, but he needs you too." She explained.

"He'll always have me, whatever he needs, I'll make sure he gets it." Victor vowed,finding himself being pulled into a hug.

"Thank you, I know Yuri's in good hands with you. You two remind me of my husband and myself in our younger years, so much in love with each other. I'm grateful that you came into his life. "

Victor returned the embrace, vowing silently to keep his promise, even if it broke his heart in the process.


	4. Chapter 4

Victor and Hiroko waited nervously, the each took hold of Yuri's hands.

"Yuri, baby." Hiroko called softly. "I talked to your father and sister this morning, they said to tell you they love you so much. Yuuko sends her love. I promised to call when you open your eyes. Can you do that for me?" She patted the back of Yuri's hand softly.

"Come back, Yuri. Open your beautiful eyes and let us know you're all right. " Victor pleaded. A light knock reached their ears.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Katsuki,Victor." The doctor greeted. "I was hoping we could take a few minutes to go over a few things." The man stood at the foot of Yuri's bed, in his hands, he carried a clipboard and the injured skater's chart.

"The x-rays of Yuri's chest came back and it looks like there's a slight improvement. I'd like to give him a few days and see if we can start taking him off the ventilator. The sooner we get him off the better, prolonged use could lead to pneumonia and a number of other complications. In his condition, it's something we definitely want to avoid."

"And if he can't?" Victor asked softly,afraid of the answer.

"Then he'll go back on and we'll go from there. Hopefully his lungs are capable of taking over or at least starting to take the lead from the machine. To be clear,I don't plan on taking him off completely all at once. It's a process of sorts. Yuri does seem to have some strength in him."

"Of course he does,I told you he's stronger than he gets credit for."

"Yes, it seems so. Victor, it might do you some good to get a little fresh air and some sleep." The doctor suggested.

"I'm fine here. I'd like him to see that I'm here when he wakes up." The doctor nodded.

"That's understandable, but part of being there for Yuri is taking care of yourself too."

"I know, I've already heard about it." Victor snapped. Hiroko reached over,lightly touching Victor's arm.

"Yuri would tell you to look after yourself too,Victor. You're an important part of his life. If you're not well, it could lead to-" Hiroko was forced to end her sentence as Yuri's monitors began beeping erratically.

"I need you both to step outside." The doctor said quickly, moving closer to Yuri, he began calling out for assistance.

"Yuri!" Victor cried in shock. Hiroko began to sob as she was led from the room.

"What's happening to him?" Victor asked frantically as the doctor attempted to escort him from the room and the team of nurses rushed in.

"You need to give us space to work." The doctor insisted, pushing him into the hall.

"You said he improved,what would make him do that?" Victor didn't receive an answer,he could only watch helplessly from the hall.

He listened to the group that surrounded the younger man only briefly before standing in the doorway.

"Don't do this to me,Yuri Katsuki!" He shouted. "You taught me many things, but don't show me what it's like to live without you, I need you, your family needs you. You come back to us. Tears formed in his own eyes and his body began to tremble. He wrapped his arms around Hiroko who grabbed onto his tightly.

" come on, Yuri. I love you more than life,but I can't live if you don't. " Victor pleaded.

After what felt like a lifetime to both Victor and Hiroko, the room became quiet and the nurses stepped out.

"Victor, Hiroko, please join me in here." The doctor called out. Hiroko took in a breath as Victor led her slowly back inside.

Both were relieved to see Yuri lying there still attached to the machine, his chest rose and fell as the oxygen was forced into his lungs.

"He's-"

"He's here." The doctor said. "I was a bit worried. His blood pressure dropped suddenly that affected his heartbeat. We'll have to do some imaging tests, like I said, internal bleeding can be unpredictable."

"I thought it stopped after the surgery." Hiroko pointed out.

"That's where the imaging tests come in. If we missed anything-"

"Can you make my son better?" The doctor sighed.

"Hiroko, can you come to my office?" Mrs. Katsuki nodded, wiping away the tears.

"Victor, can you be with him?"

"Of course, will you be all right?" She forced a smile.

"I'll be fine, Yuri needs you." She said, following the man from the room,leaving Victor alone with his beloved Yuri. He drew in a shuttered breath and lowered himself onto the edge of the bed.

"Yuri, you really scared us you know. I-I love you so much." He leaned down gently resting his head on Yuri's chest. He listened to the soft beating of the skater's heart.

"Just keep breathing, Yuri. For your family, and mostly for me. I can't tell you enough how important you are to me. I want to hold you in my arms again,to hear you laugh,see you smile. Victor closed his eyes.

Victor's eyes snapped open a moment later as he felt something lightly touch his hand. He smiled faintly. Yuri's finger now rested on his hand.

" Yuri?" He called softly, he noticed the subtle movements again. "That's it,Yuri. Can you open your eyes now?" Victor waited but received no response.

"All right, I'm not going to push you, but you have to promise to never scare me like that again, okay?" He kissed Yuri's forehead lightly as the younger man once again became still.


	5. Chapter 5

"There was a little bit of movement, but the doctor ordered some scans. He thinks the drop in his blood pressure was caused by internal bleeding." Victor explained over the phone. "They also had to push back the test to tell us if he's strong enough to breath on his own."

"Poor Yuri, I hope they're able to figure it out soon." Phichit said.

"So do I. I'm hoping the results come back soon."

"Keep me updated, and let him know I'm thinking about him."

"I will. Good luck today." Victor ended the call and sipped from his coffee cup. The corridor seemed quieter than usual. The nurses busied themselves behind the nurse's station,Victor stopped in front of them. A young nurse looked up,smiling warmly.

"Good morning Victor, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"Good morning Yoriko. I was just wondering if you knew when Yuri's scan results would be ready." He requested politely.

"I'll check the files and see if they're in there, the doctor might not have seen them yet. If they are, I'll make sure he comes to talk to you. It's possible that they're running a little behind though. I'll keep checking."

"Thank you." The woman nodded

"No problem. I'll be in to see Yuri a little later."

"See you then." Victor called,turning to enter Yuri's room. Hiroko had fallen asleep in the recliner beside the bed. The silver haired man approached Yuri's bed, leaning down to press his lips to the younger skater's forehead.

"I'm back, Yuri." He announced,lowering himself onto the edge of the bed. "I just talked to your friend,Phichit. He hopes you'll be better soon. Coach Yakov said Yurio's getting to be more himself. He's not happy about watching everyone else from the couch and I can't blame him." Victor took Yuri's hand.

"It's going to be a long day today. I officially pulled you out of skating until further notice, some of your fans are already leaving comments for you,maybe I can read them to you later. A lot of them really want you to get better and come back." Victor sighed, stroking Yuri's hand with his thumb.

"It would be great to see you do that...but I don't care if you decide not to,as long as you're better nothing else matters to me. You will always be more important. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel differently. I know I can be selfish, but I hope that if you ever do feel like you're less than everything I could ever hope for, you'll understand that it's not always easy for me to show it. Sometimes I just get really caught up in myself and... I forget to acknowledge the more precious things in life. You remind me how important it is each time I look at you. There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for you. You're everything that's right in my life and...you make me a better person." Victor reached out with his free hand, lightly stroking Yuri's cheek.

" I know you'll come back to us,and I have no right to ask you for anything after taking so much but...if you could just- when you do open your eyes, please Yuri, remember how much I love you, remember us. I almost forgot to tell you, I started looking at apartments today, you'll need to be close to the hospital for a while. It could take a while to find everything we need in one place but if it's out there,I'm going to find it. It'll be easier for your mother too, She'll have a closer place to go if she needs a break." A soft buzzing sound caused the silver haired man to glance at his phone.

"Looks like you got a new message. Let's see what it says." He paused opening the message.

"I'm just hearing about what happened to the skaters," Victor read out loud. "I'm hoping for a fast and complete recovery for all." He scrolled through the page.

"Here's one,Yuri. 'Sending some much needed healing thoughts to those injured and to Yuri K. We need you back Asap. You're my favorite competitor, sorry Victor.'" Victor shook his head.

"You're going to be more popular than me soon." He sighed. "So many people love you. " Victor chuckled. " 'we love you Yuri K, you're adorable.' I can't disagree with that. You are really adorable. I can't wait to tell you so when you're awake. There's also something else I need to say, but we'll get to that later. It stopped snowing a few says ago and some of it started to melt but it's getting colder tonight. One of our favorite TV shows is on later, maybe we'll put it on, maybe you'll be able to hear it."

"Victor," The the doctor called, entering the room, in his hands he carried a Manila envelope. Victor turned to him.

"I'm sorry it took so long, I do have the results and its something I need both you and Mrs. Katsuki to hear."


	6. Chapter 6

"What is it?" Victor asked,he ran through a list of conditions that his Yuri could possible have in addition to what he was facing now. Hiroko, now just barely awake remained silent.

"Yuri's still bleeding, it's slower and often times when it's like this it can stop on its own. He seems to be stabilizing now,thanks to Victor's donation." Victor sighed, lightly touching his arm where the bandage had been placed. Hiroko patted his shoulder.

"I'll never be able to thank you enough." She sobbed.

"My love for Yuri is stronger than my fear of needles, it's a small sacrifice that was worth making." He replied.

"You were very brave,dear."

"It's my opinion as a medical professional that Yuri may not be here if you had given into your fears. This is going to set back our plans. This puts him at a higher risk of pneumonia, as we talked about before. I'd like to do another x-ray of his chest in a few days. The sooner we can get him to come out of the coma,the better. The statistics show that the longer a patient stays comatose, the less likely it is they're capable of waking and being taken off the supports." Victor wrapped an arm around Yuri's mother.

"What are you telling us, is-is Yuri dying?" The doctor hesitated.

"There's a possibility." Hiroko burst into fresh tears, Victor's heart sank. "I recommend waiting for the x-ray so we can explore all the options before you get too upset. It doesn't look like he's ready to give in just yet,that's a good sign. I'm sorry,but as a doctor, sometimes I have to give families difficult news, the facts are part of my job."

"I appreciate your honesty." Victor replied, attempting to keep his own pain from showing. The following days were filled with anxiety and sleeplessness. Neither Victor nor Hiroko left Yuri's room. They could barely speak,instead, focusing on silent pleading, begging Yuri to find the strength and return to them.

When at last the time came and they were ushered out of the room, Victor found himself watching as the portable x-ray machine was set up. He watched the doctors shift Yuri and prop up the bed to place the film.

"Come on give us some good news today." He whispered. "Please." He knew he would have to wait yet another hour at least,he also knew the time would pass at an excruciatingly slow pace.

It was mid afternoon when Yuri's doctor met with them.

"I've looked over the x rays from earlier and when combined with the other tests, it looks like Yuri might be ready to try breathing on his own sooner than expected. If he can keep his vitals under control, and as long as the bleeding doesn't get worse, which I don't foresee happening at this point, I'd say he should have a decent chance."

"Finally something is going right." Victor said with relief.

"Yes. But remember, it's not going to be an easy road and it'll be a while before he gets back to his normal activities. We'll see how he does. If there's no problems by the end of the week, we'll take it from there."

"That's my Yuri, I told you, he'll surprise you." Hiroko kissed her son's cheek.

"Thank you." She sobbed softly.

"It's not a guarantee, his condition maybe unpredictable for a while but he's hanging in there. I'll be in to check on him again later. In the meantime, Yorkio will be able to monitor Yuri throughout the day and report any changes, feel free to ask questions." They thanked him once again.

"Yuri, did you hear the doctor, it was finally some good news." Victor said, kissing the younger man's hand. "You have to stay strong now, all you need to do and is wake up, we'll deal with everything else after that. We love you so much. I can't wait to see your beautiful eyes open, it wouldn't be long after that that you'll be talking to us."

"Your father and sister would be so happy to hear that you're improving. It'll be even better when you can tell them yourself. They'll be so proud." Hiroko added. "So will I."


	7. Chapter 7

"So we're just letting the sedatives start to wear off and when Yuri wakes up we'll be able to see how he does with his breathing. It could take a few days for him to fully regain consciousness but we'll keep watch on him." Yoriko explained. "He'll still need the pain medicine for a while. I can tell you that Yuri seems to be doing better than the doctor expected in such a short amount of time." She said, writing the findings from the monitors in Yuri's chart.

"By the way, did you have the TV on at all today?" She asked.

"No." Victor answered.

"Some of your skating friends were on, they mentioned you guys. I'll see if I can find it for you. It was really sweet. I'm sure it'll end up on the internet,if it hasn't already."

"Everything does eventually."

"It seems like it. It'll take some time for this to work, I'll be checking in more often through the day,but if anything changes, please let me know so I can page the doctor." The young woman requested.

"We will, thank you, Yoriko. You've been very helpful and we really appreciate your patience, more nurses should be like you. I'm sure Yuri would appreciate it too." The nurse smiled.

"Thank you. I'm just glad to be able to help people. That's the whole point of getting a job in this field, if you're here for any other reason, you're not in it for the right reasons." Victor nodded.

"Let me know if I can do anything for you."she said,leaving Victor alone with Yuri.

Victor sighed heavily.

" your mom should be back soon. She's looking at one of the apartments I found. It's just a few streets away from here. It's only temporary, I'll take you home as soon as you can travel. I think it's a good idea for you to see your sister and father. Don't worry, Makkachin and I are staying there with you,your mom really just needs you to be close to her for a while and I can't blame her. It was really nice of her to invite us to stay." He paused, glancing out the window, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"It's really bright outside today, it's unseasonably warm too. You'd like it. I saw a blue bird out there earlier, it was right on the window ledge. I wish you could've seen it too, It really is beautiful. Oh and before I forget,Yurio called, he wanted to see if you were okay. I know it's a little strange. Things haven't exactly gotten back to normal yet. I don't know if it'll ever be the same after all this. We'll all move on, but I think...I think I'll be a little more concerned about you for quite sometime and I know it isn't something you would really want but when you come this close to losing the one you love as many times as I have and in such a short time, it happens,so I'm sorry in advance. The good news is that he's doing much better and JJ is doing pretty good. He still has trouble remembering some things. There were some updates online. I haven't been posting though, it would probably be easier that way, but I wanted to respect your privacy, we don't get much do we, Yuri. Of course it's mostly our own fault." Victor lowered himself onto the edge of the bed,resting a hand on Yuri's.

"Every day you sleep, I miss you more and more. I know it's helping you get better I just-I do you remember when we took a walk in the moonlight, it was on that bridge. we stopped to look out over the river,it was completely frozen and the snow sparkled around us,that was also our first..well we got caught up in the moment, didn't we,Yuri?" Victor chuckled.

"You were so adorable, standing in front of me,blushing,so shy. I'd give anything in the world to go back in time and stop this. It won't be much longer.. It can't be."

"Has anything changed?" Hiroko asked, moving to her chair, placing her purse on the floor. She kissed Yuri's head softly.

"I'm here, son." She announced quietly before lowering herself into her recliner.

"Yoriko said Yuri's doing better than the doctor thought, they're waiting for the meds to wear off for him to wake up. That's encouraging, I just wish he was wake already. How was the apartment?"

"It was nice, I think it'll be what Yuri needs, everything is on the first floor, it's not terribly big but it's not really small. The two of you would be fine."

"Are you sure I can't ask you to stay, ?"

"I'd love to be there, but I have to get everything ready for you two. Also, please, call me Hiroko. We're practically family now. Victor nodded, touched by the word.

" thank you..Hiroko. " Several moments of silence passed between them, in which Victor wondered if his beloved Yuri would remember what had happened. Would he finally know what the last words had been, more importantly, would Yuri recognize them?

Victor was now secure in the knowledge that he would once again be able to hear his voice but found himself hoping that when Yuri looked up at him, the first word from Yuri would be his name. Victor's heart would hold mixed emotions, that the older man couldn't deny. Even if his beautiful Yuri couldn't speak, just one look, a smile to acknowledge him would suffice. This he knew was a selfish request, one he couldn't help making.


	8. Chapter 8

Neither Victor nor Hiroko slept, they were determined to see Yuri's eyes open. They remained hopeful that it wouldn't be long.

"Come on,Yuri. You've been asleep for a long time, now you need to come back. We miss you."

"We just need to be patient a little longer,Yuri's been through so much, but he's going to be with us again very soon." Hiroko replied.

"Waiting gets harder each day. If I knew- I don't suppose it would make much difference." Victor leaned forward in his chair.

"What do you think, will today be the day,are you ready to come back, we're waiting for you,Yuri." Yoriko joined them,greeting them warmly.

"Good morning." She said cheerfully.

"I'm just here to see how Yuri's doing and to see if there was anything I could do for you."

"thank you, but I can't think of anything unless you found a way to make him wake up and be okay."

"I wish I could. It would be great if I could just wave a magic wand and cure everyone. It's a difficult process and a long recovery. The doctor should be in to see Yuri this afternoon." She wrote a note in the chart.

"I don't know how much you can tell us, but is he okay?" Hiroko questioned.

"I can tell you that his vitals are pretty close to being within range. He could be coming out of it. Talking to him would help,I know it's something you've been doing, and many times patients respond to voices when the meds are lowered. He may react to touch soon."

"That would be great. It's been too long." Victor sighed.

"I'm sure it's very hard on you both. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything at all. I'm here until tonight and then Linda will take over." Yoriko excused herself.

"How much longer are you going to sleep," the silver haired man asked. "You remind me of that story, the one about the girl who wouldn't wake up for a hundred years. Do me a favor, don't make us wait that long...it feels like you already have. My heart is breaking. If you could see just how much we need you with us,how precious you are to us maybe you-"Victor stopped suddenly, rising from his chair.

" what is it?" Hiroko asked

"I thought..." Victor rested his palm gently on Yuri's pale cheek, stroking it softly.

"Yuri?" He called. The younger man lay still. Hiroko stood on the other side of the bed.

"Yuri Baby, can you hear us?" She took hold of her son's hand. They waited but found no change.

"I'm sorry, I thought Yuri was-" Victor was interrupted by his beloved Yuri's head tilted slightly into his hand.

"Yuri, can you open your eyes?" Yuri remained still.

"Maybe his head just fell that way, he doesn't seem to be reacting now." Hiroko sniffled.

"Maybe. Maybe we're getting excited over nothing. If we want it enough, our minds can play tricks on us I suppose."

"Or maybe we're just tired." Victor kissed Yuri's forehead.

"I love you so much,Yuri. I know you can do this...surprise me like you always do." Victor lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, facing the younger skater. It seemed like an eternity as Victor and Hiroko waited for any other signs.

"I want to take you home,but I can't do that if you can't wake up. I need you to get better, can you do that?"

"Oh Yuri, if only I knew you could hear me. If you could just..." As if to comply with Victor's pleas, and much to thee delight of his mother and coach, Yuri slowly opened his eyes seemingly in a daze, staring for just a moment off in the distance.

"Yuri!" Victor and Hiroko cried in unison, their hearts leaping with joy. The feeling didn't last as the injured man couldn't stay awake.

"No, Yuri, don't go back to sleep. Please, we-"

"I'll get the doctor." Hiroko said hurrying from the room.

"Now I know you can do it. Show me again, this time I want you to look at me. I need to see you looking back at me." Tears filled Victor's eyes. "I'm proud of you, Yuri. Keep trying. I'm not giving up on you, I didn't let you quit during practice and you're not going to now. I love you too much to let you give up,no matter how long it takes, we'll do this together."


	9. Chapter 9

He opened his eyes again, and they're testing his breathing. They said it could be hard on him because it could be painful to take breaths on his own. I'm worried, if it's going to hurt him,will he even really try to-"Hiroko began.

"Of course he will." Toshiya assured his wife. "Yuri can get through it, we just have to stay calm and be patient with him."

"He just seems so-"

"It's going to be fine, he'll be home before you know it. Be strong for our son, Hiroko. It wouldn't surprise me if he's out of the hospital before the month's over. Sometimes it's hard to get him motivated, but when we do, he's got it in him to run with it."

"I know he does. It's hard as a mother to see him in pain."

"I know,dear. You're a wonderful mother and with you and Victor beside him, he'll have everything he needs." Hiroko sniffled, wiping away her tears.

"I hope so."

"I'm sorry, We have a few customers coming in, would you mind if I called you back?" Toshiya asked.

"Of course. Give my love to Mari."

"I'll do that, give mine to Yuri. I love you."

"I love you too,Toshiya." Hiroko ended the call and drew in a deep breath. She made the short journey back to Yuri's room and forced a smile as she heard the familiar voices from inside.

"He's having a little trouble, but it's a start." The doctor explained."It's all part of the process, He's not quite ready to go solo just yet. I'm going to have the machine adjusted and it'll give him some support as far as his breathing goes. In the mean time, when Yuri wakes up, try to talk with him, encourage him to try to be more alert."

"we will."Victor crossed his arms over his chest, gazing sadly at the younger man.

"Are you all right, Victor?" Hiroko asked, entering the room.

"fine." The silver haired man answered,his eyes told a different story. Hiroko rested a hand on his shoulder.

"If you're worried about Yur-"

"The last time he was awake, the look on his eyes, he-it's nothing." Yuri gazed up at the ceiling curiously. Victor and Hiroko moved closer to the bed.

"Hello again, Yuri." Victor said softly, forcing himself to smile faintly. Yuri 's eyes rested on the older man. "It's good to see you awake."

"Yuri,my son, I've been so worried." Hiroko felt tears falling as she spoke.

"Since I'm here, so you mind if I have a moment with him?" The doctor requested. Hiroko sighed,she knew it would be in Yuri's best interest,but wanted to stay at his side.

"We'll be back soon,we're just going outside the door." She turned to the doctor.

"Please don't keep him long, I'd like to have some time with him before he goes back to sleep."

" it won't take long. " the doctor assured. Victor offered her a seat in the chair in the hallway.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

" there's something different about the way he looked at me, maybe he was confused or something but he's never looked at me that way before, like I'm a stranger to him. "

Hiroko rose from her chair, embracing the man.

"I'm so sorry,Victor. I know it's hard to realize that the one you love is going through something like this." Victor was released after a moment and light lightly touched the ring Yuri had given him.

"Yuri is my heart,everything good in my life, I have because he's there. If he doesn't remember me-"

"We'll remind him dear, one step at a time. He loves you so much."

" he used to, he can't love me if he doesn't remember me. "

The doctor soon joined them, confirming Victor's fear.

"I was able to communicate with him a little. Yuri can understand what we're saying, it's common for patients with severe head trauma to not know what's happening around them, when they are able to focus,they can follow simple instructions. I asked for him to squeeze my hand in response to a series of questions and for a very short time he did. He's still very weak. I explained where he was and when asked about the two of you-"

"He doesn't know who we are." Victor said.

"I'm sorry, but it seems you're right,he was unsure about his own name. It can be a long process he may never remember anything before the injury. The best thing for him would be to offer gentle reminders. You could quite possibly trigger a memory." Victor bowed his head,hiding the sorrow that he was sure could clearly be seen in his eyes. He drew in a breath.

"Victor -"

" I'm fine. I have a lot to be grateful for. Yuri's alive, he's getting better...a little memory loss isn't going to change that. He doesn't remember me, but I don't love him any less than I always have. I'll just have to do my best to show him he's precious to me,he knew that once and he will again...I just hope he'll feel the same love he used to have for me. "


	10. Chapter 10

Victor and Hiroko watched anxiously while the doctor monitored the ventilator,the stethoscope placed on Yuri 's chest. The older man gave a short mid to Yoriko who adjusted the machine. Yuri gazed around the room sleepily.

"That's it, " the doctor said. "Yuri's got it." Victor sighed with relief.

"He's breathing on his own?" Hiroko asked.

"Yes, he's doing it on his own. We could give him an oxygen mask and remove him from the machine, a few weeks and a lot of encouragement can go a long way. I should tell you that when it does come out, Yuri's throat will be very sore and he'll have a difficult time speaking. We'll probably be able to give him a note pad and pen so he can communicate until he's well enough."

"How soon can it be taken out?"

"Now. It's actually a quick procedure,but you might notice that he seems a little uncomfortable,it only takes a few minutes." The doctor turned his attention to Yuri.

"Yuri, would you like this tube out?" Yuri squeezed the man's hand in response. "Good. You're doing very well." Hiroko moved to her son's bedside taking his free hand.

"Yuri,baby, you can squeeze my hand if you need to." She offered. Victor watched from the corner of the room. Though he tried,He continued to feel like a stranger to his beloved Yuri. Broken hearted, he made the decision he believed would be best for Yuri,to not overwhelm the younger man and allow him to become reacquainted with his mother.

Victor's heart ached,he wanted nothing more than to reach out to Yuri,to pull him close and hear him whisper his name with the love and tenderness as he had when they were alone. He longed for Yuri's soft hand against his cheek.

 _Victor wrapped his arms around the younger skater, one hand finding its way to Yuri's waist, pulling him close. Yuri caressed his cheek with one hand while the other rested lightly on his chest._

 _"Victor," Yuri whispered,looking into his coach's eyes. "I never would've gotten this far without you. I'm so afraid of letting you down, you took time off to be here with me and -"_

 _"And it was the best decision I've ever made. I love you,Yuri,I have for a long time. I wouldn't trade my time with you for anything in the world. My life would be empty without you. I'd give all the gold medals I have to be able to hold you forever."_

 _" i love you too,Victor,you're amazing,I -" Victor cut him off with a kiss._

 _"Promise me,Yuri." The silver haired man said resting his forehead against Yuri's. "Promise me you'll always be with me. I want to have you beside me the rest of our lives."_

 _" i promise,I could never leave you. "_

" Victor? " a gentle hand touched his shoulder,pulling him back to reality.

"Hm,I'm sorry,I-"

"It's all right,dear." Hiroko soothed. " it's over now. Yuri's going to need the oxygen for just a little while but then he'll move to the next stage of recovery. "

"Good. That's great news." Victor smiled in spite of his pain.

"Do you mind if I run down the hall and get something to drink?" She asked. " Do you want anything,maybe a snack? "

"Just a bottle of water if you don't mind." She nodded, promising Yuri she would return,she stepped out of the room and out of sight.

"Well Yuri," he lowered himself onto the chair beside the bed. "I'm proud of you, I know you don't really know who I am and all of this is uncomfortable. Do you remember what I told you my name is?" Yuri gave a faint nod,wincing at the pain the moment caused.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't -" Yuri turned his head toward his coach. "I won't push you too much. This must be hard for you,waking up,not knowing what's happening and in a matter of weeks to be expected to-no,Yuri,you need to leave it on for now." Victor said, taking the younger man's hand as it weakly grasped at the mask. For a brief moment, they made eye contact and Victor saw much more than physical pain.

"It's going to be okay,Yuri." Victor soothed, his voice soft but sincere. He fought the urge to stroke the skater's dark hair and kiss his forehead. "Your mother won't be long, While wait, do you want me to show you more pictures?" Yuri squeezed his hand.

"How about Makkachin, you seem to like him." Feeling another squeeze, Victor pulled out his phone and scrolled through the pictures. "Here he is." Victor held the device in front of Yuri.

The image of Victor cuddling the large dog, who sniffed at the medals around his owner's neck seemed to be enough to distract Yuri for the moment.

"That was just a few years ago, I'd just beaten my record for the year before. That's coach Yakov in the background with Yurio. He did pretty good too. Do you recognize them?" Yuri looked away momentarily.

"No, that's okay, you'll get there. There's a lot to remember and sometimes even I have trouble remembering things. I think everyone does once in awhile. Just remember that you have so many people who love you and want to help you feel better,we'll be there no matter what." Yuri raised a shaky hand,pointing at Victor.

"You want me to be here, is that what you're -" more slight pressure confirmed his answer.

"Of course Yuri. I'll be here too." Victor promised, surprised by Yuri's response. Though Yuri still didn't seem sure about the people and events around him, Victor was glad the younger man had at last found some comfort from his presence.

 _one step closer to the day I can tell you I love you._ Victor thought as he moved to the next picture. He had been shown another ray of hope that his Yuri would one day come back to him.


	11. Chapter 11

Are you feeling better today,Yuri?" Victor asked,offering the younger man a pen and paper. Yuri raised a shaky hand to grasp the pen, scribbling a short note on the page and pushing it back to the silver haired man.

 _I feel so weak and it still hurts to breathe and swallow. It's cold._

"I'm so sorry,Yuri." Victor said sympathetically. "the doctor said it won't be that way much longer. You might not realize it, but you're getting a little stronger each day. Soon you'll be talking to us and breathing without pain. You're cold because you're still a little anemic. You had a lot of bleeding." Victor explained, turning to the recliner and pulling off the blanket he had been using, lovingly placing it over Yuri.

"Is that better?" Yuri gave a short nod,scribbling another note.

 _Thank you._ Victor smiled.

"You're welcome,Yuri. If you need anything else, just let me know."

 _Victor, am I dying?_

"No. Why do you think that?"

 _I lost a lot of blood,I'm weak and cold. Doesn't that_ Victor took his hand.

"No. It just means that you need someone to help take care of you for a while. You're going to be fine, I'm not going to let anything happen to you,I promise." Yuri put the pen down and gazed up at Victor.

"That's what...friends to for each other." Yuri picked up the pen once again.

 _we're friends?_

"that's right,Yuri. I'm a friend. "

 _I'm sorry I don't remember. were we close?_

"Yes, Very close. But it's okay Yuri. Everything is going to be okay. Just stay focused on getting better so you can get out of here. Then you'll stay with me for a little while and when you're strong enough,I'll take you home. Would you like that?"

 _yes. but Where is home?_

"Hasetsu, Japan." Victor said, Yuri moaned painfully,allowing his head to turn away from Victor.

"Another headache?" The silver haired man asked, receiving a nod. Victor reached over, dimming the lights above the bed.

"I'll bring you a cool cloth for your head,you can also push the button for your pain medicine." He handed the device to Yuri,pointing to the button and hurrying to grab one of the cloths Hiroko had left on the bedside table. He made his way into the bathroom and soaked the object. Once he squeezed out the excess water, he returned to Yuri's bedside,placing it on his forehead.

"There, this is going to help you. Try to sleep now. Rest is good for headaches.

 _I just want them to stop_

" So do I, Yuri. I don't like seeing you in pain. I'm hoping they're only temporary and it doesn't go on for long. You did have a pretty bad head injury. sometimes they cause headaches. I think you've been having migraines. Light makes it worse and sometimes you tell me you feel sick with the pain. Give yourself time, that's all we can do right now. " Victor said quietly.

Yuri closed his eyes and soon, with the help of the medication,he slept soundly.

Victor sighed,leaning back in his chair, his eyes still on the younger man.

"My precious Yuri, one day I'll help you remember everything. You'll know how much I love you again. That's my hope anyway. If you don't, if You never havefeel the same way you did before..It would hurt me,but I still couldn't walk away from you. I'll be whatever you need me to be. As long as I can be near you...I'll take friendship over losing you completely. It's good to see you able to communicate with us. You're still the most beautiful person in the whole world." Victor turned his attention to his phone where he scrolled through his pictures.

Images of himself and Yuri sitting in a restaurant together, surrounded by their friends caused Victor to smile faintly.

He scrolled through several more, each one serving as a reminder of what used to be. Finally stopping at a picture of Yuri and Victor resting on the sofa in Victor 's home. Yuri rested his head on Victor's chest, both smiling at the camera. It was in the private moments when he had Yuri to himself and got the younger man to open up to him that Victor cherished the most. Everything seemed right in the world when Yuri was with him. With a heavy sigh, Victor put the phone down.

"We've made so many beautiful memories,Yuri.I hope you give me the chance to make many more. You've come a long way from when I first met you. You're my everything."

" Victor, how did it go? " Hiroko asked entering the room, she removed her coat and pulled him into a hug.

"It was all right for a while. He was writing to me and then his head started to hurt so I told him to rest. He hasn't been asleep long but hopefully he's feeling better when he wakes up."

"I'm sure he will. Did you talk to him about the apartment?"

"I mentioned him living with me for a while, he seemed okay with it. I told him when he's strong enough, I'll take him home."

" how did that go? "

"He asked where it was.I think he's having trouble remembering what we've been telling him. When he woke up, we decided to take it slow and I told him I was a friend," Victor paused.

"It was very hard for you,but I'm thankful that you did what was best for him. A lot of people wouldn't have been able to do that."

" Yuri's my entire world, he'll always be first. It came up today and he asked if we were friends and if we were close. I told him we were and it upset him because he didn't remember. What if-"

"What dear?"

" what if it's too much for him that I'm here, what if I'm actually hurting him by trying to -" Hiroko pulled him close to her.

"My son wouldn't be alive without you. He needs you here,you're not hurting him at all. He's a little confused that's all. From what I've seen, he enjoys being with you. He's getting more comfortable with us each day. Don't you ever think you're doing anything other than helping him. My family is so grateful for everything you've done for Yuri, just helping him find his confidence and seeing him through the season...then you gave him back to us. We need you here, Victor. You're part of this family and no matter what happens,you always will be." Victor threw his arms around her.

"I'm sorry." Victor said softly. "I know I -"

" Shh, you'll feel better after you eat something. I can order something and pick it up. "

"It's not necessary, I'm fine. But thank you for -" Hiroko sighed.

" Victor, dear. I'm a mother, I've had two children and I can tell when you're keeping something from me and you haven't eaten today. A mother always knows, there's no use trying to hide things. Pick something, anything you want. " Victor thought for a moment.

"The restaurant down the street has a good menu, and I'll pay for it it's not a problem."

" you most certainly will not. I insist, it's the least I can do. "

"But You really don't have to -"

" don't worry about it, it's fine. I won't hear another word about it. Victor smiled faintly. There was simply no arguing with Hiroko.


	12. Chapter 12

"Yuri's doing a lot better. He's still having a hard time remembering things,but he will for a while. I'm hoping he'll be able to leave soon." Victor said into the phone,watching Yuri from the hall. The younger man was staring at the television with Hiroko by his side.

"Please let me know if I can help. I've been worried about him, it's been a long time since the last update." Phichit replied .

"I know,I'm sorry.I should have called."

" I understand. It sounds like you've had a lot going on. I'm just glad he's doing so well. "

"I'll let him know you asked about him. I'll work on getting better at keeping everyone updated." Victor promised.

"It's fine, Yuri should come first and As long as he's okay that's what matters. I guess I'll assume no news is good news for now." After the call ended, Victor reentered the hospital room.

"What are you two watching?" He asked, taking his usual seat beside Yuri.

"It's one of those home renovation shows. They're taking out the wall to build an office."Hiroko explained. Victor turned to Yuri who seemed to have lost interest in the show.

"Yuri?" He called. The dark haired man looked up at him.

"Do you remember when I talked to you about someone called Phichit?" Yuri nodded.

"Good. You remember that he's your friend too, right?" He received another nod. "I just talked to him on the phone. He asked about you and he says hello. He misses you and he's worried about you. When you're a little stronger, if you want to, we can call him together." Yuri picked up his pen and began to write then gave the note to the older man.

 _I don't mean to worry anyone I'm sorry, Victor_

"It's not your fault. It's just that you have a lot of people that love you and want the best for you. We worry because it's part of being a human. When you care about someone sometimes you do worry."

 _Like you_

"Yes. I worry too." Victor confirmed.

 _Sometimes I hear you. I didn't mean to make you feel like that_

Victor didn't know what to think. How much had Yuri heard?

"Yuri, I'm sorry. Don't feel bad about that. You're-" How could he word the explanation, to put into words his love for Yuri without overwhelming him.

"You're my best friend, Yuri. I get upset because I don't know how to make things better sometimes and like everyone else, I want you to be healthy and happy. I'm sorry, I can't tell you that enough." Yuri lightly touched Victor's hand. Hiroko smiled sadly. She wanted them to find their connection again and could see how painful it was for Victor. With his free hand, Yuri scribbled another note.

 _I hope I get to remember our friendship ._

"So do I. It means the world to me." Yuri laid the pen on the over bed table. "You're doing really well and I need you to keep going." Yuri grasped at the oxygen mask, weakly pulling at it,this time succeeding in the effort to remove it.

"Yuri-"

"V-Victor," the voice was strained and weak. "I promise to be better."

"Thank you, Yuri and I promise to do better too. we'll help each other,won't we,Yuri?"

" Yeah. " Yuri turned to his mother.

"'m sorry,Mom." Hiroko brushed back his hair.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for,son." She soothed .

"I-I made y-you cry." He reached up,wiping away the tears from her eyes.

"It wasn't you,baby. I'm just happy to hear your voice." After a moment, it became clear that the young skater still needed the support of his oxygen and he allowed his mother to put it back into place. Again he began to write

 _I want to talk more I want to know both of you_

"You will, just relax,it's not good for you to get upset. We all love you so much." Victor said gently,stroking Yuri's hair.

"Why don't we watch one of your favorite shows, I'm sure we can find something,we can sit together and everything will be okay."

Yuri seemed to like that idea and the three of them settled in to watch and Victor each held one of Yuri's hands, comforted by the fact that their precious Yuri at last found the strength to speak and Victor also found comfort that the first spoken word was in fact his name.

An:sorry it's so short.


	13. Chapter 13

"I'm glad you're feeling so much better today. Yoriko said the doctor thinks you'll be ready to move around a little bit when you get some strength back, you're doing a great job with keeping your promise." Victor praised. Yuri reached for the oxygen mask, slowly pulling it away.

"Feels..slow." He replied

"That's because it still hurts. Pain makes things seem like they drag on forever sometimes." Victor explained fixing the blanket around Yuri. The dark haired man noticed the golden ring on Victor's finger.

"Victor?"

"What is it, Yuri?" Yuri took Victor's hand, examining the ring carefully.

"It's beautiful." He said. "Is it a wedding ring?" Victor lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, he had been hoping he wouldn't have this conversation with Yuri. His heart was breaking.

"Not exactly. It's more of an...engagement ring." He answered.

"Oh. I-I didn't mean to upset you." Yuri brought the mask back to his face briefly.

"No. It's okay, don't worry about it."

"Isn't getting engaged a good thing, I mean-"

"It's a wonderful thing. To find that one person who knows you better than you know yourself, the one who you just can't live without and when you hold them...and you know that there's nothing in the world you wouldn't do for them...you would move Heaven and Earth to be beside them...the one person who means more to you than your own existent...it's-It's a beautiful feeling. They make your heart soar so high with just one touch of their hand."

"I'm happy for you, when did you..."

"It's been a few months." Victor replied.

"Before I came here?"

"Yes."

"Don't you miss her, if you've been here this whole time, even if we are best friends- sh-shouldn't you be with her?" Yuri looked away as he posed his question.

"Yuri, the person who gave me this ring is the most beautiful person in the world, He makes my heart smile and I can't even begin to describe what it feels like to-"

"Him?" Victor nodded.

"You must love him a lot."

"More than I can ever tell him. He amazes me. He's kind and loving, his confidence could use a little work but he's getting better."

"Then...why stay here with me, don't you miss him, is he in...where did you say you're from?"

"Russia. No he's not there, trust me, Yuri, I'm exactly where I need to be. It's hard to explain right now but...he would understand."

"He's lucky." Yuri said again making use of his oxygen.

"What do you mean?"

"Just that seeing the way you're always looking after me and I'm just your best friend, he's lucky to have someone that loves him enough to be so attentive and patient. I imagine you'd be more of those things with him. If I had someone like that, I'd-"

"I'd say I'm the lucky one actually. Before Yu- before him, I was kind of a different person. Beating my records each year and Makkachin were the most important parts of my life. Now...well-" Victor allowed his voice to trail off. He hoped Yuri hadn't caught his slip up.

"Did you meet him while you were skating?"

"Well, we're both skaters, but I would have to say we officially met at a party, but before that...he doesn't know this, I kind of wanted to get to know him before that...I was just too afraid to say anything. But that's enough of that for now. You need to rest,maybe we'll talk about it another time"

"Okay. Are you sure you're not upset about me asking, you seem-" Yuri was cut off by a sudden coughing fit. Victor rushed to fix the oxygen mask, tucking the bands back behind Yuri's ears.

"Are you all right?" The silver haired man asked in concern. Yuri nodded.

"Good. Let's leave that on for a while, you have to relax now. If you want to. I can tell you about something else." Yuri nodded as his breathing stabilized.

"Let's see, I can tell you about the time we went sightseeing, that was fun. It was around your birthday and you decided since we were in Barcelona you wanted to see the sights. I-" Yuri yawned softly causing Victor to stop.

"If you're tired I want you to sleep." Yuri shook his head, Victor sighed.

"Fine. I'll talk, you rest. It was your first time there and you wanted to see everything. We must have seen everything. We bought so many souvenirs and I got you a suit for your birthday... It was-" Victor smiled.

"Asleep already... Well it was one of the best days of my life and I'm glad I had you to share it with. That was the day you...gave me this ring and it means the world to me... You said it was for good luck. You didn't need luck, you just needed to be yourself. To show everyone what eros truly means and to me...that's you. One day I hope to give you back your ring and we'll make up for the time we lost. Until then, let's take the time to rediscover each other, shall we Yuri?"


	14. Chapter 14

Yuri laid back against his pillow,his body ached and he was exhausted. The young skater wanted nothing more than to drift into a peaceful unconsciousness.

"You did good today." Victor praised.

"I don't know if I can do it,if it's this -"

"Remember what you promised me." The silver haired man said sternly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Yuri groaned.

"I know. I just didn't think it would be so painful, isn't there a better way?"

" I wish there was. I really need you to stick with it, I don't want you to lose your ability to walk ,that's what these exercises are for,to help build your strength. You've been in bed for a long time,not able to use your legs. "

"Maybe I'm not ready for this,I'm not strong enough. They said it's possible that I won't -"

"It takes time,Yuri. It doesn't happen overnight. You're on your way to getting back on your feet and as much as you feel like you want to,you can't stop now. We need you to keep going."

"I know,but -"

" Yuri, look at how far you've gotten. You came back to us, you're breathing almost without your oxygen mask, you won't need it at all soon. Now you're starting to get stronger and they're working with you to-"

"I'm still in pain every time I move the slightest bit, still can't remember and I have a hard time retaining the information you tell me."

"But it's not as bad as it was,you're stronger now and we can work through all of this,that's what your mother and I are here for,helping you with whatever you need."

"What if nothing comes back?"

"What if it does ,you don't know how anything will turn out until you try,Yuri. But whatever happens, we love you very much. We can only do so much ourselves and then we need you to take over. I wish I could do this for you, you've been through enough. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Just take it one step at a time and everything will be all right." Yuri frowned.

"You can't say that. Yeah I'm getting better physically, but my family and friends are strangers to me, what am supposed to -"

" I'm sorry, I can't imagine what that feels like. What can I do to make this better for you? " Yuri sighed.

"Nothing. No one can. Sometimes I -" Yuri turned to look at the window.

"You what?" He asked softly.

"It's nothing. I guess I'm just a little frustrated." The younger man said.

"It's not always going to be this way,you'll get to know them again,just like you're doing with me and your mother. Even if things aren't exactly the same,you're here. That's the most important thing. the love everyone has for you hasn't changed at all."

" what if I can't be the same Yuri I used to be?" " Victor wrapped his arms around Yuri, allowing the young man to let out his pain.

" You are our Yuri,regardless of the memory loss. We love you so much. "

"Of all the things you've said to me, that's one of the few things don't have trouble remembering. I can feel it when you and my mom sit beside me and say that." Yuri sobbed.

"That's good,because that's very important. Whatever you may forget,never lose that. It's going to be all right,I promise." Victor soothed. Yuri returned the embrace.

"I feel lost." Yuri admitted.

"Then we'll find the way together."

When Hiroko returned holding her phone, she stood in silence, watching the men.

"If you feel like crying or you're feeling angry, talk me. Friends are there to help each other." Victor continued.

"Even if I'll never be the same, I wouldn't be the friend you knew and-" Victor pulled away to look into his eyes, with tears in his own.

"Then we'll be new friends and start over. It's all right. " when Victor released him, Yuri turned from him.

"Yuri, baby, your father wants to say hello. Are you feeling up to it?"

" I'm sorry,can I talk a little later? "

"Whenever you're ready. We understand. It's just that it's been a while since the two of you had a chance to talk. There's no rush. I'll tell him I'll call back." Yuri lifted his head to look at her.

"You're talking to him now?'Hiroko nodded. "He misses you so much."

"It might be good for you." Victor said softly. "If it's easier for you, we'll put it on speaker." Yuri hesitated but agreed, allowing his mother to place the phone on the over bed table. She and Victor lowered themselves onto the chairs.

"Go on, Toshiya." Hiroko encouraged.

"Hello Yuri, how are you feeling, son?" The male voice greeted. Before Yuri could reply, Victor's phone rang, causing him to gaze down at the device in surprise.

"Sorry." He said, rising from his chair. "It's Yurio. I should take this." The silver haired man excused himself from the room. Once in the hall, he pressed the answer key and lifted the device to his ear.

"Yurio, how are you-"

"We need to talk. I think I might have remembered something. It could just be a mixed up memory, the doctor said it could happen, but I said I'd let you know. Do you have time to talk?"

"Yes. Please tell me everything you remember."


	15. Chapter 15

Victor drew in a breath, lowering himself on to a chair.

"We never saw it." Yurio said. "It happened so fast...I should've been sitting there, where Yuri was. Before we left the rink, while you were telling him you would meet him there,our seats were switched.I would've -Yurio paused, a hint of guilt in his voice.

" It's all right,Yurio. " Victor soothed. "You're both okay,that's what matters."

" I can't remember where we were going, something hit us, on his side. something came through,shattered the glass and it-"

"It what?"

" then..I hit my head, I don't really remember pain. I guess it was shock. It's kind of a blur from there. Someone pushed me down in the seat, then I heard Yuri. We were spinning, we went off the road. I know it 's not a lot and it's a little mixed up, but that's what I remember. "

"You said you heard him,what did he say, try to think back."

" I don't know. It sounded muffled,my ears were ringing. Whatever it was, he said your name. "Victor didn't know how to react, in what could have been the last words spoken by Yuri, what could have been his final thought had been of him.

" Are you sure?"

" like I said,it might be a confused memory,but I feel like it's right. "

" thank you,Yurio. " Victor sniffled. "I'm glad you called."

"Are you really crying right now?" Yurio sighed in annoyance.

"It's good to have you back,Yurio." Victor said.

"Whatever. I' don't have time to sit here and listen to your sappiness. I've got an appointment tomorrow and it's kind of late here."

" I understand. Get some rest and good luck with your appointment. " Victor ended the call,wiping the tears from his eyes. He made his way back to the room,pausing in the doorway,his eyes on Yuri.

"That's when we knew," Toshiya said. "Your mother and I knew you were meant to do wonderful things. We've always been proud of you,Yuri. We always will be. It'll be good to have you home. I love you,son." Yuri turned to his mother as she took the phone, mouthing the words, 'it's okay.'

Victor stepped in, walking to the bed,while Hiroko continued the conversation in the hall.

"Yuri-" he wasn't sure what to say,but could see the frustration was still there.

"Is there anything I can do?" The silver haired man asked.

"No."

" it can only get better from here,Yuri. I know we keep telling you that and it doesn't seem that way right now,but you've -" Yuri groaned softly,turning to his side and closing his eyes.

" Victor? "

"What is it,Yuri?" Victor sat down next to Yuri.

"I really don't feel good." Victor frowned.

"Is it another migraine?" Yuri nodded.

" I feel like I'm going to be sick,and my head's starting to-'"

"It's all right, you had a lot of stress today,that's not helping. I'll get you a warm cloth and we'll try to relax." Victor set about his task and soon returned to his beloved Yuri's bedside. He placed the cloth on the younger man's head, dimming the light above him.

"Let's try something different today." Victor said softly. "Are you okay with me touching your head?" Yuri gave a short nod.

"I trust you."

"Good. I'll never hurt you,Yuri. Relax now. " Victor softly began to rub Yuri's temples. "The only thing you need to do is rest."

" that's all I've been doing. "

"I know. but being as injured as you were,it's important to Let your body rest and we're working on getting you back on your feet. We were just talking about that."

" Victor? "

"Yes?"

"You tell me a lot of stories about when you were skating and I've wanted to ask...what made you stop,if it's something you and your. .. husband?" Yuri opened his eyes part way,looking to Victor for confirmation.

"Close,we're not married yet, but you can say husband if it's easier to remember."

" I'm sorry,I'm kind of making a mess of things. "

"No. You'll get there."

"Do you think it'll come back?"

"I don't know,Yuri.I wish I could tell you it are so many things I want to share with you and -well,we'll just have to see what happens."

"Why did you stop skating?

" to help someone very precious to me. "

"Your husband?"

"yes. We'll talk about it when you don't have a headache." Victor promised. Yuri closed his eyes.

"Victor?"

" Yes,Yuri? "

"Thank you."

" for what? "

"Being here. Even best friends have their own lives. I'm sure there's a million things you could do right now,but you stay here. I'm sorry for keeping you away from your family. We must be pretty close for you to put up with all this."

 _closer than you think,you are my life,Yuri. I'll always be here._

That's what friends are for. take a little nap,when you wake up, we'll look at more pictures. " Victor continued to rub Yuri's head until he was sure the younger man was asleep. He reached out to touch his hand,feeling Yuri grab on to him in his sleep.

"I'm not going anywhere,Yuri." He whispered . "Yurio told me what happened. You must have been terrified. I'm amazed, in a moment like that, what could you have been thinking. To know it involved me...It I wasn't protect you,what could you have said?" Victor wondered,now even more curious.


	16. Chapter 16

"Do you want to go over it again?" Victor asked,lowering himself onto the arm of the recliner,where Yuri was now seated. The younger man shook his head.

"I'm sorry,it took a lot for me to get here and my entire body hurts." Yuri replied."I know it's a short distance,but -"

"It's going to hurt for a while. You had some really bad injuries and you're still healing. You've been in bed without being able to do much of anything, like I said, it won't happen over night. I'm glad you're doing so much better."

"Victor..are you sure about that apartment and coming back home with me, the doctor said I could stay in one of those -" The silver haired man frowned.

"Yuri-"

"I feel like I'm keeping you from your own life. Your fiance must be missing you,I known you said he'd understand,but it's been a while and-" Victor slid off the chair to kneel in front of his love.

I'm not going to let you go into a place like that. Let's get you back on your feet and then we'll talk about all this. There's still a lot to tell you. One day,Yuri, things will make sense again. I promise you. " Yuri turned from him with a sigh.

"please don't do that." Victor pleaded. he placed a hand under Yuri's chin and gently guided the younger man to look into his eyes.

"Don't do what?" Yuri asked.

"Be so sad. It hurts my heart. Can I show you something?" Yuri gave a short nod and watched the man pull out his phone. Victor scrolled through the device stopping at an image of Yuri smiling happily as Makkachin licked his face. He turned the phone to Yuri.

"Look at this beautiful smile, when you're truly happy,you can light up the room. I want that for you. I'd love to see you smile like this again. It would be a wonderful gift to me and your 's important to us that you get better,not only physically,but everything. What can I do to bring back your smile?"

" I don't know. Do you think you could tell me something about us? " Victor nodded.

"I have so many wonderful memories of us that I would love to share with you. Where should I begin?"

"Anywhere. I just need to hear something to cheer me up. You seem to be good at that."

" Not lately, and it hurts me. To know that I failed you-"

"You didn't. There's no way you would've let anything happen to me if you-"

"I wasn't there for you,Yuri. I was supposed to be." Yuri lightly touched Victor's hand.

"You're here with me now. I don't blame you for whatever happened to me. I don't know how,but I know you would've been there if you thought I was going to be hurt..I guess it's what best friends do." Victor nodded.

"I suppose it is. "

"I'm glad we're friends. I don't know if I would be doing this if you weren't here,so thank you. I know I've been complaining a lot and -"

" yuri, after all that time you spent asleep, I'm just happy to hear your voice again, you complain about whatever you want, as long as you're talking. "Yuri chuckled softly.

" Don't you ever get tired of it, I mean you're being very patient with me and -"

"Never. I don't care what we talk about, I just love talking to you. Let's see, I can tell you about the time I flew all the way to Japan from Russia, or maybe you would like to hear about the very first time I actually met you." Victor grinned. " It's a little embarrassing,maybe it's best left for another time. "

" That sounds bad, was it bad. . Did I -"Victor laughed.

" I'm all honesty, it was probably the most fun I had in a long time. You might not think so, but we had a good time. "

"Victor?"

"Hm?"

" Do you have any other pictures or videos of us? "

"I have some.I can show you everything,maybe something will come back to you."

"Do you think you could tell me about..skating later,I -I'd like to see -" Yuri glanced away.

" Yuri, when you're strong enough to leave here, and we get you home, I'll take you to the rink and...I'll skate just for you. "

"Y-you -" Yuri began in surprise.

"A very special performance, just for my best friend."

" I'd like that,but you don't have to do all that, I mean wouldn't you're -"

"I'll take care of everything, all you have to do is...let me take care of you. Don't worry about anything else. Just keep working on moving around and whatever else the doctors and physical therapist tells you. I'll handle everything else." Yuri nodded as Victor looked through his phone in search of the photos.

"How long do you think it will take for Yuri to be able to come home?" Hiroko asked from the hall as she and the doctor watched.

"It's hard to say, but he's been doing very well and all things considered, he seems to be recovering quickly now. It shouldn't take much longer. We'll keep him at least another week or so,run some tests to be safe. In my opinion,as a doctor, Yuri is in very good hands with Victor."

" did save my son's life, he continues to be there to see him through. I truly hope one day they can get it all back. Even now,I can see it. Victor loves my Yuri so much. The way he treats Yuri with such love, he reminds me of my husband. I just hope it's enough. "


	17. Chapter 17

"Do you think you want to try standing up, the doctor says it will be good to try." Victor offered, kneeling beside the bed. Yuri had been released from the hospital earlier that morning but continued to struggle.

"I don't know, Victor. I always feel sick and dizzy when I stand up and I'm still feeling a little weak and tired."

"The doctor said your strength will come back, we just have to work on it. Maybe you just get up a little too fast. They said it happens with head injuries. When you move too fast it-"

"They also said to let me rest when I need to. I need it." Victor nodded.

"Yes they did. It's good that you remember that. It could mean you're-"

"If I can remember that, why not my life. Why can't I-" Victor gently brushed back a few strands of hair from Yuri's face, as a few tears fell from the younger man's eyes.

"I wish I had the answers for you. I wish I could take this from you and make you feel better and I'm so sorry I can't. I promise you that it's going to be all right. We just need to be patient, things will get better soon. Your mom should be back soon, when she gets here she wants to make your favorite-"

"Where did she go?"

"Just to the store. We thought it would be best if I brought you home to lie down since you weren't feeling very well earlier. She said she was going to do the shopping, you don't remember talking about that at the hospital?"

"No." Yuri fretted, "I don't remember too much of this morning."

"Shh, it's all right, you're going to give yourself another headache. Just relax."the silver haired man soothed. "Do you want to watch tv, we can see if-"

"No. I don't feel like watching anything, I just..I want to sleep."Victor frowned, he didn't like the tone in his love's voice. Yuri seemed to be pulling further away from him since the conversation at the hospital that morning.

 _"Yuri's injuries will make it difficult for him to move around much on his own." The doctor explained. "He's made progress and with the two of you supporting him, he should continue to do so. Right now, as you've been seeing with the physical therapy sessions, Yuri won't be able to walk long distances, I want you to continue to try to get him standing up. He'll have to use a wheelchair until he's strong enough to walk and may continue to need support later. His strength should return, it's just a matter of building it back up. Because of Yuri's head injuries and how severe they were you can expect some changes in-"_

 _"Will the dizziness ever stop completely and the migraines?"Yuri asked. The doctor placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder._

 _"That's something I can't tell you at this point. Sometimes the dizziness and nausea will stop eventually. You'll be more prone to the migraines, I can give you something for pain, but it's likely that it'll be an...on going occurrence. It's good that you have Victor and your family for support. It could be quite a while before you're able to get around without some assistance..if at all, every case is different. I've seen cases like yours go both ways. We'll keep an eye on you and in time, we'll be able to see our options." Victor could see the sadness in Yuri's eyes as the doctor continued to explain. He knelt down beside the chair where the younger man was sitting._

 _"Don't worry, Yuri. No matter how long it takes, I'll be right here. Your-"_

 _"I know." The dark haired skater replied, not bothering to look at Victor._

 _"Please don't-"_

 _"can we just go?" Yuri requested. Hiroko leaned down and kissed her son's cheek._

 _"We love you, baby." She said gently._

 _"Love you too." Victor and Hiroko exchanged worried glances. The doctor simply nodded._

 _"I'll get the paperwork. If Yuri feels like he needs to rest, let him. Encourage light activity but remember that recovery takes time, pushing too hard won't do any of you any good. I'd like to see him back here in a couple weeks to see how he's doing."_

Victor lowered himself onto the edge of the bed. "Okay, do you want to try to drink some water, you haven't had any today."

"No."

"Are you-"

"Please, I just...I don't feel very good right now." The older man straightened the blanket around his love.

"If you feel better later, maybe I can show you a few pictures of Makkachin, that always makes you happy. When you're ready to go home to Japan, you'll be able to meet him. Or we could do a video call and you can-"

"Maybe."Victor stood up and made the short journey from the bedroom to the kitchen, where he leaned against the counter, resting his face in his hands.

"How am I going to get him through this?" He whispered to himself. "My beautiful Yuri, what can I do to fix this?" His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. Victor drew in a breath and reached into his pocket, pulling out the device and reading the display. He raised the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Victor." Hiroko's voice replied. "I hoping you weren't too busy. I'm almost back to the apartment and I could use some help with the bags. I hadn't intended to get so much, but with Yuri feeling like this, I thought he could use some cheering up."

"Of course, how close are you, I can m-"

"I'm just about three houses away. If you could just open the door when I get there and help me inside, I would appreciate it."

"I'll be right there." Victor said, crossing the short distance to the door.

"Is Yuri doing okay?"

"He's still the same, if not a little more depressed than earlier. Maybe he needs time to adjust. He said he just wants to sleep."

"My poor baby, hopefully that will all change at lunch. I'll make some of his favorite foods and with any luck, it'll be better for him."

"Maybe it'll help him remember something, the doctor said familiar things can do that."

"We can only hope. I'm here dear." Victor opened the door, taking the bags from Hiroko with a faint smile.

"Thank you, are you sure you don't mind the change in our plan, it's just after seeing Yuri so sad I-"

"Of course not. You're welcome to stay as long as you want." Victor followed Hiroko into the kitchen where he set the bags on the counter and began to put away the items inside.

"I'll only be here a few days, until you're both settled in. I know he's in good hands."Hiroko replied, placing the container of juice in the refrigerator. "It's hard as a mom, seeing him like this and just leaving him."

"You're a wonderful mother, I'm sure it hurts you. Hopefully soon He'll be back home and everything will be fine." The older woman sighed heavily.

"I would love to have my son home. I keep thinking about this morning. My Yuri loves to skate, it's all he's ever wanted to do. I can't help but worry...If he remembers and he doesn't get over the sudden headaches or dizziness- If he can't go back to what he loves, can he find anything that can distract him from that. I don't want him to go through life-" Victor pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay. We'll find some other interests. Maybe we'll look into other things that he and I can do together. It'll work out, you'll see. Yuri's stronger than he seems, I think after he has some time, he'll be fine and all of this will be nothing but a terrible memory that in time he may push out of his mind. He's resting in his room, why don't you go see him and I'll put everything away." Victor released her.

"are you sure, there's a lot to-"

"Go on, He'll be glad to see you." The silver haired man encouraged with a smile. She nodded, thanking him before turning and leaving him to his task and to his own concerns.


End file.
